Electronic operating mechanisms for automotive windows, sunroofs, and, in recent years, sliding doors are commonplace. Such a mechanism provides convenience to a vehicle operator, and also improves safety by avoiding the distraction of manual operation of a closure mechanism while driving. Such operating mechanisms, however, can present a hazard to small children who might be inclined to extend hands, arms, and heads through open windows, sunroofs, doors, or hatches. Often the controls for portal closure members such as windows, sunroofs, doors, and hatches are in a location likely to be used as a step or knee brace by a small child, such as a horizontal door handle or center console. Further, many operating mechanisms have an express close feature, which requires only a single momentary contact to set the closure member into a full closure motion. Undesired closure, such as by the child or a sibling accidentally activating the control switch, can cause the closure member to close on an unsuspecting victim, resulting in entrapment and/or injury. Further, improper operation could also injure pets or cause damage to fragile cargo items extended through such a portal.
Some modern operating mechanisms, however, attempt to address such hazards by incorporating an obstacle detection system which serves to prevent such closure members from accidentally closing on an object or body part inserted onto the closure path. Such obstacle detection systems include both contacting and non-contacting methods of object detection. Contacting obstacle detection systems sense premature resistance against the closure member caused by impact with an object while traveling the closure path. A certain impact resistance threshold triggers object detection; such a system then stops and/or retracts the closure member. Such an impact resistance threshold, however, may not be sufficient to prevent entrapment and/or injury to a small child.
Non-contacting obstacle detection systems sense an intervening object without physical contact, such as by infrared (IR) beams, and therefore do not present the impact resistance threshold threat of the contact obstacle detection systems.
Both contact and non-contact obstacle detection systems, however, can incorporate an override feature. Such an override feature allows an operator to override the object detection system and force closure member operation. Such operation may be desirable in certain circumstances, such as when vehicle cargo dimensions require objects to be extended through a window, or when accumulated snow and ice triggers the impact resistance threshold and restricts operation of the closure member.
Nonetheless, such override features are often operated at the same or proximate point as the control switch. Therefore, such an override can be susceptible to the same undesired operation as with systems without obstacle detection. It would therefore be beneficial to develop an entrapment prevention system which prevents undesired operation of both normal and override modes of operation of such closure members, yet permits intended override operation by detecting the presence of a responsible operator to ensure that such operation is intended and not accidental.